A Curse of Fate

Shifter City Fated Mates #1

by Jaymin Eve

A new romantasy from Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller Jaymin Eve.

I'm a shifter who can never bond with a pack. Not if I want to live.

The day I watched my mom's pack destroy her, was the day I knew I had to run from the shifter cities.

Mom and I share the same designation, which means we'll share the same fate.

For ten years I hide from the cities and the alphas who control them.

Until my luck runs out.

Dragged to Golden Claw against my will, they charge me as a rogue. I'm facing death until one of the strongest alphas in the city scents me as his match.

Scents me... and claims me.

Even worse? He's part of the most powerful pack of alphas the cities have ever seen.

I have to reject them. It's the only way to avoid my mom's curse of fate. And my own.

Except, these alphas have never been rejected a day in their lives, and they're definitely not about to start now.

* This is a why choose romance with very dominant and possessive male main characters. The female main character will not choose between the love interests. It's a full length (95k words) romantasy and contains adult themes and descriptions that are suitable for 18+. This is part of a series and ends on a cliffhanger. It won't hurt too much, though, I promise. Or maybe you like a little pain with your pleasure. Either way, you'll be just fine.

Genres: Fantasy, Omegaverse, Why Choose, Shapeshifters, Romance, Paranormal, Dragons

328 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2024

About the author

Jaymin Eve is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and sci-fi novels filled with epic love stories, great adventures, and plenty of laughs. She lives in Australia with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and a couple of crazy pets. To date, she has sold over three million ebooks, and still can't believe that she gets to create fantasy worlds as a job. 

For action, adventure, romance, and a guaranteed HEA, start one of her series today.

Reading order:

Secret Keepers series (Paranormal Romance) House of Darken. House of Imperial. House of Leights. House of Royale.

Storm Princess Saga (PNR/Fantasy)
The Princess Must Die. The Princess Must Strike. The Princess Must Reign.

Curse of the Gods (Reverse Harem Fantasy Romance series) UpperYA/NA
Trickery. Persuasion. Seduction. Strength. Neutral. Pain.

Supernatural Prison (UF/PNR romance -shifter, vampire, fae, magic user) Upper YA/NA
Dragon Marked. Dragon Mystics. Dragon Mated. Broken Compass. Magical Compass.

NYC Mecca Series (UF/PNR Romance - shifters) Upper YA
Queen Heir. Queen Alpha. Queen Fae. Queen Mecca.

Hive Trilogy (UF/PNR Romance - vampires) Upper YA
Ash. Anarchy. Annihilate.

Walker Saga (Fantasy/adventure/romance - gods, mermaids, dragons) YA
First World. Spurn. Crais. Regali. Nephilius. Dronish. Earth.

Stay updated:

http://www.jaymineve.com

https://www.facebook.com/JayminEve.Au...

Reviews

[Laura Thalassa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. AM. OBSESSED. OB-SESSED. This book got me out of a months’ long book slump. I giddily read this entire thing, kicking my feet and giggling as I went. And I am not prone to giggling during books! I’m not at all being dramatic when I say I am dying for book two. This was perfection.

[Doom Sunshine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Currently 26% in:
In the beginning, I really admired the way that the FMC was written; strong, resilient, and intelligent. However, she is beginning to lose that independence and making very dumb decisions. Her inner monologue: "I don't want anything to do with my scent matches." What she does instead: surrounds herself with their business and submits to their (the mates) proposals.
It was nice to have hope that we would get a strong female lead, but that hope is slowly eroding.
So far the dumb ass nicknames are: omega, little omega, lamb, kid, and pretty girl.
Also, the formula for RH mates is also present in this book: the dominate one (who is probably into BDSM, that's a prediction on my end), the golden retriever and the one who hates the FMC for [insert dumb reason].

53% in:
Only about 4 or 5 days have passed since Emme was caught, and everyone in her life has betrayed her so far. She keeps saying things like "I can't trust them or their actions" yet she simpers to them (her mates) every single interaction. I miss the strong FMC from the first ten pages. Where did she go?

Completed
Well, I saw that cliffhanger coming from a mile away. Also saw Finley saying the "she is toxic and will tear us apart so I have to stop her from bonding with my mates" line because this book follows the formulaic shifter RH men trend. Ya know, it's okay if not all men want to bond to an omega, but give actual reasons not imaginary ones.
The first 90% or so of the book, 5-6 days had passed since Emme arrived at the compound. THen all of a sudden a week flies by.
I said it earlier, and it bears repeating: I missed the Emme from the first chapter. She had personality, spunk and seemed like a fun girl. However, she was lost and her personality never returned.

Updated list of very dumb and not at all original nicknames: little omega, omega, pretty girl, lamb, darlin' girl, freckles, sunshine, shortcake, sweet omega, baby, my sweet omega.

I'm pretty sure that Fin and Hunter don't even know Emme's name. They just call her by her designation, as if that is all she is.

[cha · Rating 5 out of 5]

DEVOURED!!! in like half a day lol never finished a book so fast in my life

“Mark your alpha. Claim me so that no other does.”

Hunter fucking REEVES everybody. I'm afraid my weakness is always when the grumpy, unapproachable, hotter than the sun, powerful beyond belief alpha MMC begs to be claimed by his omega. I'm just like other girls 😩

Also this is how you do a mysterious scary MMC!!!!! My man Slade Riverson talked a total of probably like 10 sentences the whole book aside from his little chapter pov and I FELL IN LOVE LMAOOOOO not me blushing and giggling at 3 am just because the dude walked.

Oh and FINLEY???? Jaymin Eve said ✨rejected mate✨ trope and she MEANT IT. Dude never really said a word to the fmc. Just down right hating her in his inner monologue and I was SO DOWN FOR IT lmaooo he said he was not gonna be around her and he really WASN'T. Jaymin Eve took tension building SERIOUSLY in this book.

I think it was perfect that we got to see more of Hunter & Kellan first in this one, just made sense personality-wise. I loved the pacing. Kellan was instantly obsessed with the fmc but weirdly I found it endearing instead of annoying like I normally would.

Fmc, Emmeline, was also very reasonable. Trauma-driven but was willing to see reason & weigh in different perspectives & adjust based on new information. I think she was very smart and also very strong-willed. A little BBS but that was more because she was an omega in the presence of her fated mates I think and even then she STILL had no problem saying no.

I just KNOWWW some people would probably find her obsession with cars and bikes (and her very impressive knowledge about them) a pick me behavior but it was SO cool to me and she never claimed she was different and that matters okay!!! 😭😭😭 just added a layer to her character that I thought was endearing.



ANYWAYS this was EXCELLENT. Everything I ever wanted in my shifter/omegaverse RH. So easy to read and extremely entertaining.

Does it have the typical RH MMC line up - grumpy leader, mysterious quiet dude, manwhore & the golden retriever? Yes absolutely and you will never hear any complaints coming from me LMAOOOO I'll be sitting my ass on reddit using those exact keywords to find my next RH reads every single day 🤣

This was very well written (when it comes to RH at least) no cringy ass nicknames (except maybe from Kellan but he was also just silly goofy) and also great characters & great plot.

I'm going to be so brave and say this might be my favorite RH series ever right next to Ironside Academy and if you know me you know this admission is a big deal to me LOLLLL

The vibes of this reminded me of the Bonds That Tie series (and maybe a little of Cursed Legacies) because the fmc rejected the men and some of the men also couldn't care less about her. Based on this one book I have a feeling it's gonna be WAY better than Bonds That Tie tho and I'm SO excited.

I screamed at the ending because at one point in the book I thought to myself "...what if...." I do that a lot while I read because sometimes my imagination is better than what's written lol but then what do you know........ my dreams came true at the very end 🤣

(I'm very ecstatic) (but it left on a cliffhanger so now I have to wait till like APRIL of 2025 so I'm feeling a little heartbroken) (all I do ever since I went down the RH rabbit hole is WAIT I swear)






──────✧ pre-read
“This is dedicated to the “big boy” trend.
Need a big boy?
Want a big boy?
I’ll give you four.”

HELL YEAH JAYMIN EVE SAY LESS LOL

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars feels kinda generous because frankly not much happened in this book, but 3 stars does not feel like enough when considering my enjoyment, so here we are. This was entertaining, but I found the female main character extremely inconsistent and kind of dumb. She kept thinking one thing, but then she'd bend to these guys so easily in her dialogue. She's basically immediately flirty with Kallen yet very rude to Hunter right away, and it didn't really make sense because she doesn't know either of them yet so why is she acting so differently towards each of them. Also, we really didn't get a lot of Slade or Finley as characters - I don't care about Finley, but I'm veryyy interested in Slade. The hockey storyline also felt really forced for all of the hockey romance girlies (since hockey romance is such a popular fad right now in the booktok world). I don't think the hockey part made a lot of sense with these characters and the world, and it kept making me lol. As far as I can tell, the main male characters are weapon manufacturers like Tony Stark, bar/restaurant owners for every bar/restaurant in the city, apartment building tenants, mercenary bodyguard/police force leaders, street racers, council government leaders, and professional hockey players....lol pick a lane? The cars/motorcycle thing was whatever, but sometimes it felt a little too ~she's not like other girls~. I wish they explored more of her blatant dyslexia.

I also hate hate hateeee when books have insta-best friends, and this book had that with TWO characters with the FMC (Cora and Chels). She basically meets another woman and is like "you're my bestie" (I also hate in books when characters use the word "bestie" because who uses that term, not ironically, over the age of 16?). Like girl, you say that you trust no one and can't wait to escape, yet you have known her for 2 seconds and you're putting rushed labels on your friendship. It's OK for a FMC to not have a best friend immediately. Let us have the slow-burn friendship that more people can relate to.

I wish we learned a bit more of each characters' back story. The random tidbits that kept getting dropped in inner monologues got a little annoying. Just tell us and move on.

Also, although it wasn't fully explained yet, I kept getting annoyed at Emme's rationale for being on the run. I assume her mother's pack fully bonded the mother, stole her omega powers (which are still 100% unexplained), and then killed her. However, Emme seems to believe everything her mother (who was evil) ever told her at face value, and she hated her mother. I get her being on the run to not have the same fate as her mother, as an omega, but she has no reason not to trust Hunter and Kallen enough to stay. She's constantly trying to figure out ways to run when everyone in the Golden Claw city has treated her pretty well. But I get that she has trauma and can't trust people - I just got annoyed because she'd trust everyone in a scene and call them besties and be lusting over her mates, but then the next chapter she's like, "when I escape and run away...".

Anyways, all that said, I read this in like less than a day, and I'm very much looking forward to the next book.

[Jessica ❥Chatterbooks Book Blog❥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was exactly what I needed! It reminded me of why I love shifter romance. The dominant alphas, primal urges, sexual tension, fated mates, bonds, found family, all of it!

[Spasticnontastic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing new but an enjoyable and easy read.

[Mikky · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

OMGOMGOMG This was exactly what I've been looking for for the past few weeks! I love this so much!

The dynamic between Emi and the pack is fantastic! A little bit on edge with so much tension. I can't wait to see them become a family. The men, even though they're weary of her, defend her til their last breaths AND they respect her/wishes/boundaries. This is my bread and butter.

Emi has been through a lot. Most of it bad. Living on the run taught her quite a few hard lessons. I love that she's slowly opening up and getting to know the pack. No one is pushing her, and they're going at her pace. I love this for her!

Some of the men are not very open to the idea of having found their mate, so it's also an adjustment for them as well. Most deal with it fine, others may take some getting used to. I'm eating every second of it up!

P.S. There are some misogynistic remarks and situations: One of the guys wipes off makeup from Emi's face because she covered up her freckles. He thinks it's dumb and wants to see her freckles, so he just wipes her face without asking or even talking to her about it. Don't get me started on why she has to follow his standards of makeup and not take into account what she wants to do with her face. Something that won't reflect on him in the slightest. *Face Palm* There's also the stereotypical mean girl who's clearly been written as a pick-me to jab Emi about her mates. It was weird and uncalled for. Those are two that are coming to mind.

The Audiobook:

Audio Sorceress (the company that produced this narration) did such a good job on this audio! This is a fantastic middle ground between a regular audiobook and a Graphic Audio production. There are sound effects, but no continuous music running in the background. It's also a full cast narration (every main character has a narrator cutting in with their lines, duet style). The audiobook alone deserves 5 stars! I can't even begin to imagine how much this cost the author, but it was worth EVERY PENNY!

[Darcey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look, was this revolutionary?? No, not at all!! But it was incredibly addictive and very entertaining, and it really hit the spot for a trashy, fun, rh romance. I’m invested! Hit me with book 2 asap 🙏

[Gia Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC REVIEW*

Jaymin… babe… what are you doing to me?

This is easily my favourite shifter romance I’ve read (yes, that’s right, I said it).

The dynamic of a modern day setting with banter, a sprinkle of spice and an epic cliff hanger that sent me into a tailspin, made for an epic book that I’ll be thinking about for months.

I wanted to be best friends with Emme, she is my soul-sister, but I would be on my knees for these Alpha’s without a second thought because 3 broody Alphas (a couple super traumatised ones, slay) and 1 golden retriever Alpha, make me one slutty gal.

This book is so well written and sets the rest of the series up beautifully - I’m sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the rest of the books because how on earth am I supposed to read anything else after that cliffhanger?! I NEED MORE.

Anyway, if you can’t already tell, this was a hands-down easy 5 ⭐️ read 🖤

[Melo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried DNF 50%

This is a shifting omegaverse. Supposedly.

At 50% I needed some sort of insight. Emme (heroine) is literally giving nothing to the plot except that she wants to run. Every other thought from her is she wants nothing to do with her bonds. Only 1 of the Alphas is even trying and even then the rest sabotage him.... Soooo... Why are we here?

Emme is a 5ft 11inch "omega" eeerrmmmm?? I actually thought she was an Alpha herself. This should have been the delicate balance of strong and vulnerable. Not whatever this is. The twist about omegas being able to ignore Alphas and their barks.... Being stronger than Alphas dominance?

The delivery burnt it to krisp.

There is nothing omega soft about Emme, nothing. Why even write her as omega????
Seriously though, a Prime Alpha and she just sits there like "yeah whatever" her actual fated mates and again no particular interest. Why bother with that tangent??

I have serious questions.

Digging ones heels is all fun and games till the fact that she keeps saying No should mean No.

Let's hear anyone else's story in Shifter City to me this was tedious.

[Steph is Hopelessly Bookish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Safe and Predictable Shifter Story

Standard Shifter fare. No big surprises. I was ready for it to be over after the FMC wondered for the hundredth time if she could really stay with this pack. Characters are pretty cliche and flat, not much growth.

[Lilly 🖤 · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.8 ⭐️

I got high the last half of the book and it was definitely better then if I was reading it sober. I’m not ashamed with my decisions.

[Tiffany · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why?

The alphas knew she had been on the run since childhood. Second, two of them were upset about her rejecting them, but it seemed as if she was right. I don’t understand how they didn’t ask about her childhood experiences, especially after she assumed that they would kill her. This fact is glossed over. I hate that Amazon keeps recommending me books that are written by people who want a quick buck.

[Thay · Rating 3 out of 5]

“She deserved all the love, and I knew if she opened herself to the rest of the pack, she'd find all four of us were the pieces she'd been missing her entire existence.”

A Curse of Fate snuck up on me. I saw it recommended in a Facebook group and decided to give it a try, it's been some time since I was only reading Tessa Hale and I wanted a bit of a change of her formula. Jaymin Eve delivers a nice story with an interesting heroine and her 4 super hot fated mates. While the premise was compelling and the characters had potential, I found myself entertained but I felt like something was missing.

Emmeline is a rogue omega who wants nothing to do with pack life, and I respected her boundaries. She’s emotionally guarded and deeply affected by her past, but not passive. Her resistance to the alpha quartet wasn’t about drama, it felt authentic. She questions fate. She challenges tradition. She doesn’t melt just because four alphas say she’s theirs, she demands more.

Each alpha is distinct and layered, and I loved how their personalities complement and occasionally clash with Emme’s. Hunter is intense and dominant, the one who pushes hardest. Kellan is the warmth, light-hearted, golden-retriever vibes, but fiercely loyal. Slade is the wildcard, all edge and danger. Finley is quieter, broody, emotionally restrained, and that slow thaw? Yes, please. While I liked the variety in the group, some dynamics felt stronger than others, and I’m hoping later books flesh them all out more fully.

I appreciated that nothing was rushed. Emme’s trauma wasn’t magically healed by romance, she took her time, and the connection between her and the alphas was more about emotional tension than instant gratification. That restraint worked well.

I believe what bothered me the most was I felt the world-building here lacked a bit. We were told about a lot of cities and many kinds of shifters, but we don't really get to experience that. I guess I can understand Emme can't go out in the world right now, but still, it made the world in this book seem a little flat. In regards to the plot, I was interested and invested, however there was a lot of setup and not enough payoff. Much of this book felt like an extended prologue to something bigger. I kept waiting for the story to hit that next gear, and while the tension is promising, it never quite exploded the way I hoped it would. This definitely feels like the foundation, not the finished portrait.

Also, some of Emme’s internal monologue felt circular after a while, the same doubts and fears on repeat. Understandable, given her trauma, but it occasionally slowed things down when I wanted the plot to move.

Finally, A Curse of Fate has a strong emotional core and a heroine worth rooting for, but it didn’t fully land for me. The bones of a great story are here, I just wanted tighter writing, deeper development, and a bit more momentum. That said, I’m curious enough to keep going and hope the next book delivers on the potential that’s clearly building beneath the surface. Worth reading for the setup and emotional tension, but be prepared for a slower, slightly rough ride.

✨ RATING
- C (characters): 6/10
- A (atmosphere): 7/10
- W (writing): 7/10
- P (plot): 6/10
- I (intrigue): 7/10
- L (logic): 7/10
- E (enjoyment): 7/10
↬ TOTAL: 6.71 = ⭐⭐⭐ + 0.5

💦 SPICE: 🌶️🌶️

🔖 TROPES:
- Fated mates
- Reverse harem
- Forced proximity
- Hurt and comfort
- Found family
- A bit of hockey on the side
- Wolf x Wolf x Wolf x Dragon x Bear
- Touch her and die
- Slow burn

⚠️ Trigger Warnings: child abuse, domestic abuse, kidnapping

“How hard would it be to return to purgatory after being this close to heaven?”

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

I basically read this in one sitting and I didn’t even notice. Suddenly it was 3 hours later and I was 90% inte the book. That’s how addicting (-ly good) this book was.

Feel free to send me an ARC of the sequel (pls)

This series will probably turn out to be my fav of Jaymin’s book series and that is one difficult job. It has tough competition.

[Izzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

That ending!!! I will be reading book 2 soon

[Miss · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Not much happens in terms of plot, character or relationship. As a reader, we learn almost nothing about the world or the characters. So it’s decently written, but just really boring with the same sorts of relationship dynamics I’ve read time and time again in books like this.

[~Babette~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing really happened??? I was very bored whilst reading

[Žaba · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover does the book dirty

[Ahana M Rao (Heart’s Content) · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can find this review of A Curse of Fate on my blog, Heart's Content!

A big shout out and thank you to GD Author Services and the author Jaymin Eve for giving me this amazing opportunity to read A Curse of Fate early!

I cannot explain the devastation this book has inflicted upon me. At the same time, I cannot explain how much this book felt like a blessing to my slump healing heart. 🤌🏻✨ For all time, this book shall be referred to as the reward bestowed upon me for suffering through a terrible terrible slump. RBUMSATTTS for short.

Moving on.

I will admit that three things drew me straight to reading this book. The first was the cover—I mean, can you blame me, look how beautiful it is—the second was the author who’d written it—I mean, have you read her Shadow Beast Shifter series?—and last but not the least, the blurb. I mean, I’m sorry, but after reading The Bonds that Tie series, I haven’t found other Why Choose themed books as good as that series was. I loved how much reading A Curse of Fate was reminiscence of that series even while it paved a path unique to itself. So, if you’ve read J. Bree’s series and are searching for another that’s as well done, stop reading this review right now and go check out Jaymin Eve’s addictive new release that I guarantee you will devour—like I did—in one sitting.

Need I go on?

The plot in ACoF initially remains heavily focused on the more emotionally charged aspects of the theme. This is honestly such a great ploy to ensure that the readers are unaware that they’ve stepped straight into quick sand that slowly but surely drags them deeper and deeper into itself until the bigger picture begins to emerge and you’re reeling and realizing where you likely are. Emotionally and plot-wise that’s where Eve leaves us hanging; in that high stakes moment of revelation and shock.

The characters in any story can truly make or break a book. However in books such as this one with a theme surrounding five main characters, it’s extremely important to flesh out your characters and establish them really well so the readers know exactly what to expect the moment a character walks into a scene. It’s my favourite aspect of this book. Every character gets their own time on page and as a reader you truly understand and learn them with no rush. The author doesn’t thrust all five personalities at you at once, but rather she introduces them as little pieces of a bigger puzzle that begins to slowly reveal itself. There’s still a lot more to go and I’m absolutely sat for it.

Also! For those who are curious, expect the see the famous four MMC personalities: the Possessive One, the Angry One, the Dangerous One and of course the Sweet One.

The pace in ACoF is something that I barely noticed. As I mentioned before, I didn’t stop reading or put down Eve’s book from the moment I started it. I was cruising through the pages surprising myself every time I checked the percentage on how far along I was. I read from morning to late evening and I still had not had enough. I could’ve devoured two more books before I felt a semblance of satiation. Essentially, the pace never let up and the book keeps you glued to its pages.

Poor Jaymin Eve, she likely spent weeks writing this baby and I consumed it whole in maybe six-seven hours and am currently sitting here demanding more. Sorry! *sad face*

A very smart way to do world building in a book is having the main character learn with the reader. This often ensures an even pace to the whole process, helps us connect to the narrator as they’re likely feeling what we are, and of course, adds a lot of mystery to the story as we slowly understand the rules and dynamics of the world. Eve follows this style with a little bit of pre-existing knowledge that throws in a few complexities emotionally and plot wise. Loved it.

L. O. V. E. D. I. T.

While I admit the book might seem to remind you of The Bonds That Tie sometimes here and there, I promise you it takes on its own personality soon enough that you stop seeing any similarities.

Five glorious stars! Check trigger warnings please! There are themes in this book that can be triggering for some.

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

My 1 star is, in fact, factoring in that I am not the target audience and also understanding I myself am not a writer

NO SPOILERS:
- there is no plot. Nothing happens. Which could be fine (I love slice of life), but I just found myself not caring about what would happen next. When something finally DID happen it just felt like too little too late.

- the character conflict is shallow. The main character has no agency in what's happening; she "goes with the flow" while in her head speaking about how she will eventually run away.

- every character POV sounds exactly the same. I had to constantly verify who's POV I was in. Emme would say or do some specific body language (eg "masking a laugh with a cough") then the next chapter, one of the alphas she hadn't even met yet would do the exact same body language. This could be some interesting fated mates" thing, but it's never expanded upon. It just feels lazy.

- the worldbuilding is not explained at all, so someone with zero knowledge of this universe was completely lost. The concept of alphas, betas, deltas, and omegas; designations; and entitled alphas are never elaborated on, so I had to rely on my basic knowledge of the Omegaverse to make any sense of what's going on (which this book is not part of). I shouldn't have to read every single book you've written to understand your standalone series.

- the (singular) sex scene was trite, and felt like it wasn't even the characters we'd seen the entire book in the scene. They turned into cutouts of pornstars for a few pages then went back to their original character personas.

- Emme self-proclaims several character details and flaws at the beginning of the book that never come up again or are proven false. Examples include being a bad liar, having a plan A-Z for every situation, and being bad at reading/not having read much over her years. She lies constantly and, despite being a bad liar, is never challenged, and everything she says is taken at face value. The planning thing never comes up again, or comes up so insignificantly I missed it. The being bad at reading thing is brought up during scrabble night, but only after she pulls out college-reading-level quotes or vocabulary.


SPOILERS:
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.
.
.
- Slade's "beast" makes no sense in the world and feels silly. Or, at least the glimpse of the world I was given only having read this book and no others in the universe. The world is grounded in our world -- all shifters up to that point are animals in our world like lions, bears, wolves. There are no other fantasy elements. Then, boom, dragon? It feels like a cheap way to make Slade more interesting or different than the other alphas. That could've been done through character moments or something else.

[KayTheBookLover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've found my newest book addiction! It should be no surprise that it's a shifter book! We know I love a shifter story!

We've got a group of 4 Alphas who are shocked to find that the run away rogue omega is their scent match. The only problem is she doesn't want to be.

These Alphas are willing to prove that they aren't like other Alphas and will never force her. But shit hits the fan when the secrets Emme is hiding start coming forward.

I loved meeting the characters in this book, and I am immediately diving into book 2.

Overall ☆☆☆☆☆/5
Spice ☆☆.5 /5 Angst is there but slow burn.

[AshReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emmie, Hunter, Slade, Kellan, and Finley. Emmie has been on the run for many years. Her mother was killed by her bonded mates and she has been on her own ever since. When she is captured and taken to Golden Claw City, she is determined to find a way to escape. She ends up scenting and discovering her fated mate is Hunter one of the councilors to determine her fate. She learns that not only is he her fated mate but his pack is her are all meant for her. Emmie does not want to end up like her mother so she is determined to keep all of them away until she can make her escape.

I devoured this book and I loved every min of it. And then the ending talk about a brutal cliffhanger. I am in a book hang over now. Nothing I try will be as good as that. I love a good shifter romance and this one is delicious. I have read Jaymin Eve’s Shadowbeast shifter series and loved it. And this one will be the same. There wasn’t a lot of spice in this one, but it is still good.

[Daisy Delfin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book of Jaymin Eve that I liked!

I was caught by surprise that Jaymin now writes a why choose? series on her own. Until now she teamed up with someone (Tate James or Jane Washington) for her Why choose? series.

And on top of this it's about Alpha shifters and an Omega shifter heroine, who are fated mates. This world is not a Omegaverse, so no knotting and other Omega traits, even if the fated mate are scent matched.

In my opinion the first book is better than the second, because the heroine was more badass here. Because the book ended on a cliffhanger, I just started the second one. But I do recommend to read this series when all books are out because book 1 and 2 ended on a bad cliffhanger. And the third is coming out later this year.

[Lyrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I liked the world and the characters. There was enough sexual chemistry and tension to keep my interest. This is slow burn since it's the first book in a series.

My only criticism is that near the end of every chapter from the FMC's POV she reiterated that she was going to have to leave or this was temporary or she couldn't be part of a pack. That got to be tiresome - we get it! You've got trauma and think that means you can't be in a healthy relationship.

[koz · Rating 1 out of 5]

0 ⭐️ but goodreads hates that

can’t understand the appeal of this writing and non-existent story. how was this published. how was the word ‘vibe’ used on almost every page without worry. i think i could turn this review into a thesis but i’m so worn out from reading this that i won’t bother.

[Jess | jadecanread · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ohohoho I am tickled. I have been reading a variety of books this year so far and this one just hooked me!

Does it attempt to cram many different things into one book? (Omegaverse, shifters, dystopian, utopian, hockey, military(esque), rejected mates, suspense) Yes. Did I eat it up? Absolutely.

What I think this does well is its easily entertaining nature. I liked the different facets, the SLOW BURN, she does 69 in this but no PIV (yet), and the characters.

What I think keeps it from 5 stars is that while Emme's trauma is heavily referenced, because the reader is aware of her hangups and that she's brought it up a couple times, it's frustrating that the pack doesn't know. You mean to tell me Warrick didn't spill that bean?

I will forgive that this is first in a series so things are still setting up! BUT ALSO THANK YOU FOR NOT HAVING HER BANG ANYONE YET.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

[Anja · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay this was addicting. Emme is finally a clever protagonist, I love the shifter lore (more pls) and I may be in love with Kellan.

[spicykatzreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

hitting 100 books with a BANGER!!! Can’t wait to read what happens next!!!